Provides students with an overview of the legal environment as it affects medicine and business. Utilizes cutting-edge cases as students explore medical mal-practice, negligence, liability (physician, product, and corporate), the changing physician-patient relationship, the care of vulnerable and high-risk populations, intellectual property, criminal aspects of health care, patient consent and rights, and health care reform.

Learning Objectives:

Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

Identify how business law affects health services delivery, including choice of corporate form, imposition of liability for clinical decision making and regulated financial practices (e.g., health care fraud) on the various elements of the delivery system and the legal and ethical implications of health service delivery through tax-exempt and for profit corporate structures.

Summarize the legal and ethical conflicts arising in the current health care delivery system, including the manner in which particular financial arrangements and management theories create conflict between different legal and ethical principles

Cite legislative and judicial responses to conflicts in health care as an expression of public policy and societal concerns

Explain the inherent limitations of the legal system to address and resolve conflict and the role of ethical analysis

Identify the differences between legal and ethical issues

Analyze ethical issues within the context of individuals and collective value systems and the organizational structure, mission and culture of health care delivery systems

This course will be offered for 3 days in the JHSPH Winter Institute. Students are required to complete readings prior to the start of the course. The final assignments will be due no later than February 2, 2018.